Manchester United v Barcelona head-to-head: in pictures

Manchester United v Barcelona head-to-head: in pictures

26 May 2011: Manchester United will face a familiar enemy when they take on Barcelona in this year's Champions League final. We look back at titanic clashes between the clubs

Thursday 26 May 2011 06.30 EDT
First published on Thursday 26 May 2011 06.30 EDT

Bryan Robson and Diego Maradona shake hands before the second leg of the sides' Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final in March 1984. Barcelona held a 2-0 lead from the first leg, but this was to be one of Old Trafford's finest nights...

Manchester United's Steve Bruce runs to Lee Sharpe to celebrate his team's first goal in the 1991 Cup Winners' Cup final, scored by Mark Hughes. United won the match, and their first European trophy for 23 years, 2-1 against a Barcelona side missing their star striker, Hristo Stoitchkov, through injury

Mark Hughes, who scored both of United's goals in their 2-1 win, celebrates with the Cup Winners' Cup. He had signed for Barcelona in 1986 and played one disappointing season before returning to United, via Bayern Munich

In 1994 United and Barcelona met in the group stage of the Champions League. The first match was a 2-2 draw, with goals from Mark Hughes and Lee Sharpe (with
a brilliant backheel) cancelling out this effort by Romario, and another from Jose Mari Bakero

The return match the following month was a one-sided affair. With limits on the number of foreign players in each team Gary Walsh replaced Peter Schmeichel in goal for United and was beaten by Romario, Albert Ferrer and twice by Hristo Stoitchkov, seen celebrating above

The teams met again in the group stage in 1998. The first game was a high-scoring thriller – United were 2-0 up at half-time, Barcelona pulled level, David Beckham scored a brilliant free-kick but Barça went and scored again for 3-3

The return is played two months later, and remarkably ends in another 3-3 draw. Rivaldo scored twice for Barcelona, and hit the bar with a 30-yard piledriver, but United took the point they needed to finish above Barcelona in the group and eliminate them. United were back at Camp Nou later that season to win the final

Eric Abidal challenges Wayne Rooney in the first leg of last year's Champions League semi-final. Cristiano Ronaldo missed an early penalty and though Barcelona dominated thereafter they could not find a goal